End of term

What a difference this makes! Vicki has finished her school stints and most of her private coaching as exams are all over and there is an air of relaxation about the place. I have my wife back! And so she is busy tidying her teaching room and getting a lot of pleasure about doing some of the backlog of things she needs to do.

Now lest you get the wrong idea she is scheduled to be training teachers throughout July (change is as good as a rest?) so won’t be totally available but for right now we are enjoying this brief respite. We have been talking about different approaches to relaxation: we have tried to maintain a habitual day off together each week but the edge is taken off this for Vicki because of her awareness of all the vital things not done and accumulating which create even more pressure on her. Hence we are exploring (with the aid of suggestions from friends) that we might approach this differently – something regular for me, something seasonal for her – provided that each week we do carve out time to be together for policy and decision making over a meal out perhaps. What about a regular day out on the bike for me? What about some days over half-term sketching for Vicki? Etc. The seasonal approach reminds me of bygone Celtic monastery days when the weather dictated seasons of study, work, mission etc. Strange that with my interest in the Celtic church we haven’t thought it could be applicable to this area of our busy lives! We (I) have been trying to enforce a ‘one size fits all’ approach to relaxation – amazing!

And of course we haven’t forgotten my 91 year-old mum who needs to get out of the house for a break from all her hard work but is dependent on me for doing so. And did I mention August? Could we possibly have a real break together then…